TOKYO: Leaders from some 15 countries and international organizations are set to visit Japan for the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics on Friday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said Wednesday.

Sports ministers from some 70 countries are also scheduled to visit Japan, Kato told a news conference.

Talks with those leaders and ministers “will provide us with very precious opportunities” at a time when face-to-face diplomacy is restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kato said.

But the number of top leaders visiting Japan for the ceremony will be far lower than initially expected, because many decided not to travel to the Asian country as the novel coronavirus is still raging in many parts of the world.

At the time of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, about 80 world leaders visited Britain. The Japanese government made preparations to receive as many leaders.

Among the Group of Seven major powers, France is the only country that has announced a plan to send its top leader, President Emmanuel Macron, this time. Paris is set to host the 2024 Summer Olympics.

U.S. first lady Jill Biden will also attend the opening ceremony, while Britain’s Princess Anne and Taiwanese digital minister Audrey Tang decided not to make visits eventually.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in also decided not to travel to Japan, seeing little prospect of achieving desirable results if he met with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.

The leaders visiting Japan this time “will be our precious guests,” a Foreign Ministry official said. “We want to make their visits opportunities to discuss pending issues and deepen friendship with them.”

JIJI Press